This article is to draw upon a recent groundbreaking history of the Deacons for Defense along with scholarly research on the Gandhian construct of "?satyagraha?" to develop a conception of the Civil Rights Movement as a multifaceted strategy shaped by a dialectical relationship of non-violent direct action and armed self defense. They contend that this alternative to Eurocentric interpretations provides a historical grounding for Peace Education that raises the possibility of overcoming the marginalization and resistance encountered by peace educators especially among less privileged constituencies.